


Half Way Home

by 777LLL



Category: Last Shadow Puppets
Genre: And More Fluff, Boys In Love, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Love Confessions, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-10
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-03-14 23:08:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,184
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28678671
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/777LLL/pseuds/777LLL
Summary: Alex hasn't been on speaking terms with his parents since he came out. After graduating from high school, he flees his home to visit a friend who lives in Wirral. Little does he know that he's granted an unforgettable summer when he becomes friends with a local boy named Miles.
Relationships: Miles Kane/Alex Turner
Comments: 4
Kudos: 17





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Not real, I just want some countryside romance. Hope you enjoy!

Half Way Home

1.

“Come on in, my darling.” Says the little old lady. She turns the handle on the door, first up to the right and then all the way to the left. A slight click - Alex steps onto her well-cared lawn, letting himself being pulled into a hug that smells of chocolate and bread.

“You still have the sweet tooth, I hope?” She adds cheerfully as they walk to the front door of her house.

“Oh, yes. I can’t seem to quit sugar.” Alex looks at her apron and blushes at the thought that she has spent the afternoon preparing for his arrival while he came empty-handed. “Thank you, Miss Cunningham. You really don’t have to -”

She gives him a fond glare before interrupts, “Hey, don’t you _‘Miss Cunningham’_ me.”

“…Beth.” Alex corrects himself.

“Good, now go upstairs to your room. Tea will be ready in 20 minutes.” Beth points at the staircase hidden behind a pot of green plants. “Tell me if you need anything, Alex.”

Beth has decorated the baluster with ink sketches. The wooden stairs are steep, shaky and narrowly built. Alex even has to hold his duffle bag in the front to avoid scratching the wall, so he decides better to admire the drawings later. His room is on the first floor at the end of the corridor. Right next to it sits the study room. The air inside is dry and heavy with the smell of books. It’s also dark for a sunny afternoon like this.

Alex tears off the sticker on the door – It has his name written on. He then inserts the key. The metal key rasps in the lock and the door swings open, revealing a small bedroom with huge windows. The curtains are open, kindly giving pass ways to the bright sunlight. There’s a single bed against the wall, with a bookshelf and a wardrobe guarding its right and left side respectively. A desk sits by the window, and on the other side is the sliding glass door to a petite bathroom. Like everywhere else in the house, the décor is simple and uniform, with a splash of Beth’s own artwork here and there. On the wall she hangs a small photo print of Sheffield train station. It brings a bitter smile to Alex’s face.

He would really like to take a nap after hours of travelling, but he knows better than being rude and letting Beth down on the first day of his stay. Instead, Alex takes a quick shower in hope to wash off the exhaustion. After changing into fresh clothes - grey T-shirt and a pair of jogging pants – Alex finally feels awake enough for some small talks. He picks up the dirty clothes and quickly shoves them into the laundry bag Beth puts next to his wardrobe. That’s when he heard a barking sound outside his window, followed by someone shouting, “Oh yes! Go get it. Go Lucy, go!”

Alex walks over to the window, curiously peeking down. His bedroom overlooks the lush green of Beth’s backyard. Out in the garden, there’s a huge black shepherd dog running happily around a young man. He is shrieking with laughter when the dog rushes back to give him the gardener’s glove he’s probably lost on purpose. “Good girl,” he yells with a pronounced scouse accent, kneeling down to pat its head. Alex watches him pulling out a slice of meat from his back pocket. “Here you go. Slow down…take it easy, Lucy. I’m not gonna mug you.”

The beech trees along the fence cast masking shadows onto the young man. When he rises up and baths in the sunshine, the sharp contract of his pale neck and dark hair catches Alex’s eyes. He might have stared for just a little bit longer than necessary as the stranger walks over to the rose bush. Alex wonders who he is – Beth has no son or relatives of this age as far as he knows.

Alex tries to bring up his doubt as casually as one can when he sits down in the kitchen. Beth brings him a plate of cookies and warm muffins. She doesn’t notice the way Alex’s fingers tighten around his mug. “That’s Miles you saw. He brings me eggs and fresh meat every Wednesday and Saturday from the Skelly’s butcher shop. I’m good friends with his mum, so I get extra service of gardening for free during summertime.”

That explains the gardener’s gloves and dog feeding. Alex doesn’t think most people walk around carrying raw meat in their pockets.

“Alex, I know you’d probably prefer a quiet environment and everything,” Beth says, mistaking his silence as worry. “Miles only comes over twice a week, and he’s a nice kid. I think you’ll like him.”

“Oh. No, it’s totally alright. I was just, um, I’m thinking maybe I can help with the laundry and grocery shopping, anything, while I’m here.” Alex explains, feeling terribly flattered that she cares so much about him. “I mean, I don’t know much about gardening -”

“Am I getting fired?” says a voice from behind. Alex yelps, jumping up in the air and spinning around.

There’s Miles – The boy is about the same age as Alex and has a similar haircut as well. He is covered in mud and grass, tailed by Lucy the dog. She was only a puppy the last Alex saw her, so Alex doesn’t think Lucy would remember him. She barks at the scent of a stranger in the kitchen, head rolling up to sniff at Alex.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” The boy grins apologetically. Alex puts down the hand he pressed over his pounding heart, taking a deep breath. Miles’ smile widens. “You must be Alex! Beth told me she’s having a guest. Honestly, I was expecting a man as old as me nan.”

“Boy,” Beth scolds half-heartedly. “Now I’m seriously considering sacking you.”

Miles shrinks dramatically and hides his face, pretending to beg for forgiveness. Beth laughs and raises to her feet for another cup of tea. She turns around, immediately Miles looks back at Alex from between his fingers. “I’m Miles, nice to meet you.”

Alex fidgets. Miles is even more eye-catching up close. He smells of grass and tree sap. Miles offers Alex a hand to shake, but then realizes his fingers are covered in mud. “Sorry, maybe next time!”

Miles runs pass him to wash his arms by the sink. “I saw you with Lucy earlier, from the window.” Alex confesses, although it’s really not necessary. It’s Lucy who seems to be tied to Miles’ shin that reminds Alex. “You were really spoiling her.”

“I know, I know. She's always hungry after she got pregnant, I can't say no to her.” Miles dries his hands on his own T shirt, reaching down to scratch the back of her ears. Alex finds his long fingers awfully distracting. Suddenly, Miles leans in and whispers into Alex’s ear, “Please don’t tell Beth I fed Lucy extras. She always worries I’d end up making her overweight.”

Alex hops a little, face heating up when Miles casts him a quizzical look. He would like to find himself an excuse, but out of the corner of his eyes Alex saw Beth closing in. Behind you, Alex warns him silently. However, it’s too late and they are caught right on site by the hostess.

“Turning him against me already, Miles?” Beth teases.

Miles takes the teacup from her hand and takes a sip, managing to look all innocent. “I was just offering to show Alex around, right Alex?”

On the receiving end of Miles’ unnaturally rapid winks, Alex has to pinch his thigh to keep himself from laughing out and giving away them both. “Yes, I’d like to go to the beach, so.”

Beth listens with a smiling face as they sing the duet. “Of course, darling. You can go after tea.” She holds up another plate of fresh strawberries and cream. Alex takes it to the table for her.

Miles slides into the seat next to his. Thank you, he mouths, eyes sparkling with mischief.

Alex smiles back. He didn’t even get a chance to be habitually reserved and guarded before he starts to agree with Beth that Miles is truly easy to be around. He has just turned 18 this spring, so Miles and Alex are indeed of the same age. His family runs the Skelly’s butcher shop in town, but Miles grows up in the village. His home is two blocks away from here.

They discussed a few plans for the garden, and Beth have promised to finish a quick sketch of her blueprint before they come back. She pitifully waves her hand by the door, “I’d love to go for a walk with you boys, but my legs have exhausted their best days.”

Miles shakes his head firmly and insists it’s the pebbles to be blamed. Beth dismisses them with a laugh. Alex can tell her mood got lifted up by Miles’ joke. It’s as simple as that.

Only then does Alex become the centre of the other boy’s attention. “I hope you’re not too tired for a walk. The sea view’s unbeatable, definitely worth your time, unless you don't care about it and just came up with that to cover for me?”

“Not entirely, no. I love the sea – and I think she knew we were lying.” Alex reaches for the sneck. Beside him, Miles hurdles the fence and challenges him smugly with a rise of eyebrows. Alex grins. The fence is roughly two inches above his knees. It ain’t too hard to jump over, after all. Miles cheers for him once Alex lands steadily on the pavement, as if he’s won a world champion for hurdling. Weirdly, that makes Alex laugh to no end.

“So Alex, what brought you here?” Miles asks curiously as they walk down the street, searching for his eyes.

“I was in a workshop that Beth led two years ago in Sheffield. We’ve kept in touch since then. I mentioned in my Christmas card that I’d probably go look for somewhere to spend the summer. Wasn’t really counting on it to happen, until last week she called and invited me over.” Alex chuckles at the memory. “Took me by total surprise.”

Miles nods, “You study art then?”

“Oh, no. I - it’s a workshop about poetry.”

Miles shrugs. “That’s pretty cool. I know she’s into all kinds of books. You should see her truck when Beth first moved in. My mum sent me to say hi to our new neighbour, but I ended up helping her unpack for a week.”

His body language is neutral and speaks no irony when Alex mentioned he’s into poetry. Alex’s pulse speeds up with excitement at the observation. He opens his mouth hopefully, but Miles beats him to it, as if he could read Alex’s mind. “Nuh, books ain’t for me. I’d read if I’ve got nothing else to do.” He throws his hand up in the air and grins, “Sorry to disappoint you. But I can be good company as a tour guide. You see, I know me ways around…”

Alex shakes his head. What he feels around Miles has nothing to do with disappointment. He tries to recall the last time he meets someone this easy to talk to.

The answer sheet comes back blank.

The village is tiny and after 15 minutes, they are already welcomed by open areas that are totally depopulated. Miles leads him onto a shortcut to the dam around the back of a convenient shop, the last building off the road. He makes sure that Alex remembers the owner’s name is Robert. “That bloke’s large and grumpy, but if you call him Rob, he simmers down.” Once they climb up onto the dam, Miles points at a column of smoke mounting perpendicularly into the windless air at the far end of the village. “That one comes from Bobby’s. Best fish and chips in Wirral. We gotta grab a bite there some other day.”

“Okay, sure.” Alex pants his excitement as blue horizon extends in front of his eyes, barely noticing Miles is talking about a “next time” to hang out. He takes in a deep breath, bathing in the salty air blown from the calm sea glistening in sunlight. Two red dots decorate the smooth greenish sapphire, two brave sailing boats. Scattered along the shore are moving figures of people, while the line of dock stays motionless. “Wow, this is…I love it.”

“Running out of words already?” teases Miles, amused by Alex’s reaction. For a second Alex feels slightly lost, unsure of what to say, until he sees the playful look on Miles’ face. Somehow Alex has a feeling that Miles won’t mistake his joke as a show-off; Miles pulls his lips up slyly after he’s provoked Alex, as though he is happily waiting for a fightback.

“You wanna hear me recite a poem or two? Here it goes,” Alex changes into a thick, low voice. “ _When time stops and time is never ending; And the ground swell, that is and was from the beginning, clangs_ -”

“Okay, okay, I yield!” Miles yelps, holding his head down with a bark of laughter. “Don’t get me wrong, Alex. You sound amazing, but please! I skipped uni for a reason.”

Alex casts him a questioning look.

“I’m in a band with a couple of me mates, kinda wanna see where that takes me to first.” Miles turns to the sea, arms open, back bending backwards. He bounces back the question, “What’s your plan after this summer?”

“I go to London.” Alex’s mood takes a big swing, dipping downwards. He doesn’t want to think of why he’s here yet. “I’m set to study Drama and Creative Writing.”

Miles, although having only shown an airy manner, precisely catches the subtle fluctuations in Alex’s tone. “You don’t sound all that excited, la. Don’t like the course?”

“I do like it. It’s not because-I mean, it’s just…” Alex stutters into an inaudible grumble. He shuffles on the heels, trying to focus back onto the magnificent view, but it has unfortunately lost its magic.

“I hope you do like music?” To his rescue, Miles chips in. He bumps gently at Alex’s tense shoulder, eyes soft and understanding.

Alex relaxes and smiles back at him. “Well, I first wanted to spend the summer in Liverpool for a reason.” 

Miles lightens up. He leans in, so close that Alex can smell the faint residue of Beth’s garden on him. “You favourite Beatle?”

“George.”

“That’s a lie!” Miles snorts, pushing him away. He takes the lead and begins to walk along the dam.

“It’s not.” Alex huffs out a laugh, feeling much lighter as he rushes to keep up with Miles’ pace. They walk in comfortable silence. Warm, moist breeze gets stronger as the sun dims, and suddenly there’s a drop of rain on Alex’s nose.

Miles halts and waits for Alex to come closer. “Lets’ go, run for cover!” He shouts, pretending to be on a battlefield. Miles pushes at Alex’s shoulder blade and wheels him around to the direction they came from: Some ten yards away there’s a small bus stand with a canopy. Alex doesn’t need more hints. He bolts, racing Miles to it, and wins by just a second.

Miles collapses on the long seat. “Jesus Alex, you hurt my pride - I once almost got into the league team for football!”

“I was really good at basketball, believe it or not.” Alex beams. He hasn’t played for years, but his muscles clearly have long memories.

Outside, the rain pours. The sky on the far west is still clear but overlooking where they sit is a huge pile of black clouds. The ocean surface has lost its smoothness and is now churning and quivering. A strong odour of sea and fish blocks Alex’s nostril as they wait for the weather to get better. “My mum’s gonna kill me,” Miles howls miserably, “I promised to come home early today.”

Alex suggests, “We can just walk back.”

“In the rain?” Miles tilts his head to the side. His fringe is kissing the little knot on his forehead, and Alex inevitably notices how nice and soft his hair looks. Miles meets his eyes unabashedly. The moment lasts and eventually transfers from a casual eye contact to a dangerous probe. Miles shifts closer, knee colliding into Alex’s thigh, and licks his lips quickly before he speaks –

A honk breaks them apart. Miles jumps up first and lets out a surprised, happy yell when the black car stops next to their little shelter. “James?”

“What are you doing here? Hurry, come on in!” Inside the car sits a young man in his twenties. Miles shakes him out of the daze, pulling Alex’s up from the seat. Alex looks down at his hand with a little shudder, and then quickly averted his eyes.

The car moves once Alex closes the door. “Alex, this is my cousin James.” The man in the driver’s seat waves one hand briefly. “My friend, Alex.” Miles introduces him to his cousin, seemingly unaware of the fact that technically they met less than two hours ago. “Thank God you drove by, otherwise we’re gonna get soaked.”

Miles winks at him; that is his belated answer to Alex’s wild suggestion. He somehow seems a bit flustered, and Alex sorely wishes the light inside could be brighter, so that he’d know for sure if Miles is also blushing.

They drive back in a few minutes. “Sorry, the weather totally spoiled it. I’ll make it up to you,” Miles murmurs, which leaves Alex nervous and puzzled – do they need to make this conversation secretive? Miles suggests, “Let’s say, tomorrow? If you don’t already have plans.”

“Tomorrow is good.” Alex whispers back. The whole trip was not planned, to be honest.

The car pulls over right in front of Beth’s yard. Alex thanks James for the ride. Instead of goodbye, Miles mouths to him, “Midday?”

Alex nods, rushing to get inside. He can hear Miles’ laughter when he hops over the fence without a second thought. Alex turns back, fighting to keep his eyes open in the heavy rain. Miles has rolled down the car window, arm drawing a joyful line as he waves Alex goodbye. 

He finds a very worried Beth by the door. Lucy is lying on the ground, eyeing him warily. “Sorry love, I forgot to get you a raincoat.” She urges him to shower. When Alex comes back down in his sleepwear, the kitchen is filled with divine smell of soup and chicken pie. He told Beth about the rushed sightseeing, the soundless wailing of the sea, and Miles. “We’re going to the beach again tomorrow.”

“Quite a charming kid, isn’t he?” Beth refills his bowl. Alex nods carefully. He doesn’t want to express too much interest.

His cautious response saddens her smile drastically. “I received a phone call earlier, from your friend Matt. Maybe you should call him back. You’ve got a phone with you, Alex?”

“Yes.” Alex answers honestly, but he doesn’t mention that the said phone is turned off in his bag and he intends to keep it that way until the summer ends. He lies, “I’ll give Matt a ring later. Thanks, Beth.”

She scrutinizes his face. “Alex, if you ever want to talk about it, I’m just downstairs.”

Alex feels the soup stuck in his throat. For a second he forgets how to lie through grinded teeth, so he repeats, meaningfully, “Thank you.”

After a quick debate about the dishes, they decide that Alex can help with those starting from tomorrow. Getting back to his room, Alex quickly unpacks the few pieces of clothes he brought with. He places his notebook in the desk drawer, and throws his well-loved collected poems by Allen Ginsberg right next to his pillow. The lamp casts a warm light down on the creamy carpeted floor. Alex steps onto the shadow of the bookshelf, pondering if he should read a few pages before going to bed.

His phone is lying innocently on the bedstand, calling at him, alluring. He is tempted to just call Matt, or Jamie, whichever friend he has at home. They must be really pissed off. But again, it’s his own decision to flee the city. He’s far from ready for a painful, honest chat.

Eventually Alex decides he’d just go to bed. Lying eyes wide open in sheer darkness, he feels like the photoprint of Sheffield train station is staring back at him, mocking. The bed beneath him is a stranger. The room is foreign. He is all alone. As Alex forcefully stops feeling sorry for himself and thinks of tomorrow, the plan he has with Miles offers Alex tremendous comfort that he didn’t realize he’s craving. He slips into a dreamless sleep, for the first time in a while without fearing for a new day's arrival.


	2. Chapter 2

2.

Over breakfast, Beth talks about last summer, when she had a young lady Lydia as her guest. Lydia couldn’t return this year because she’s attending the photography festival in Arles. She has invited Beth to come over in August, and Beth specifically stresses that Alex is very welcome to join her. Otherwise, she will leave the house for him to take care of. “I hope you don’t get bored with pet- and house-sitting, Alex. How old are you, 18?” she smiles at the memory. “When I was at your age, I’d been to detention centre three times.”

“What, what for?” asks Alex in surprise. He never takes Beth as the wild kind.

“Boys.” Beth winks at him, the wrinkles around her eyes folding into a charming crescent. “Not that I was getting frisky with many. One time was because this guy stole my artbook and wanked to the pictures of naked Gods. I almost snapped his neck for that.”

Alex chokes a bit on his coffee. Beth lifts her brows complacently at his stunned face, back to eating her food. Surely, Alex knows this whole conversation serves the purpose to loosen him up, as he has come to hide at her place, more or less on a whim, out of choices and full of distress. Beth has implied several times that she doesn’t want Alex to feel indebted to her. But even as he sits here, eating the eggs and toast she has just made for them, Alex is constantly overwhelmed by her generosity.

_He has been highly strung this whole morning, waking up to the sound of Lucy barking. Alex would take her for a walk if she’s not acting all guarded around him. So instead, he stayed in bed and listened to the new environment around him, recognizing every single noise that disturbed the silence of a dawn: a short performance of a songbird, distant church bells, a creak of wooden floor when Beth got into the kitchen…he suddenly missed the jazz music his dad put on in the study room to wake up the house every morning, the honking horns and bicycle bells from outside his window, and Matt shouting, calling him names from the street if Alex had kept him waiting for too long._

_The thought brings shame to him, as Alex quickly gets up, eager to find himself a distraction. Beth was making scrambled eggs when he came down, and she kindly asked Alex to put the kettle on._

“I really loved the short piece you sent in November.” Beth says, bringing Alex back to reality. “Maybe you can read it to me tonight?”

Alex nods behind his coffee cup. He was very coy of reading his own work a few years back, but in the workshop, Beth encouraged him to do it more often. He made a great effort to try, and slowly that has rewarded him with a deeper connection with his own words.

“You got anything new to impress me with, darling?” Beth says, looking at him expectantly.

With that question, Alex’s face becomes pale. He’s more than happy to share with her even poems that he’s unsure of, hearing her opinions and having a discussion, but he hasn’t written a half decent line since the big falling-out with his parents before Christmas time. Beth, being such an understanding friend, reaches out from across the table and pats him gently on the arm. “I have arthritis on both knees, but when I need to find my way back, I go down to the beach. To be honest I hate walking up and down the dam, but it’s worth it. We all need to talk to ourselves, in one way or another.”

She adds, “…and sometimes we all fail to do so. It’s only normal, Alex.”

Alex again nods, gratefully casting his gaze down. He can feel tears pricking behind his eyelids and crying certainly isn’t the start he wants of today. Suddenly, there’s a warm, fluffy thing brushes against his ankle. Alex searches beneath the table and finds Lucy there, her long tail taking much of the space. She peeks at him, and then hides her head into the belly.

“Oh,” A smile is brought to his face. The dreadful feeling temporarily dissipates. “Lucy is getting used to me being here.”

Beth chuckles, leaning back in her seat. “Give her one more day and she’s gonna be all over you. Remember, never let her into your bed. This lovely lady sheds.”

She lets Alex do the dishes this time, and goes to open the door herself, letting Lucy out in the yard. “May I ask a favour of you, darling?” Beth says when Alex dries the plates with a towel, looking him up and down. “I usually pay for the kids to come and pose for me, but now it’s the summer break… I’m thinking maybe you can be my model. What do you think?”

“Me?” Alex turns around in surprise. “But I, eh, I don’t know how to pose.” he rubs his nose self-consciously, knowing there is a new pimple growing. He won’t consider himself a material for an art model.

“You don’t need to do anything in particular. Just sit somewhere comfy and do whatever you fancy. I only need you to stay that way, for a few hours, depending on the days. Oh, and no need to strip.”

Alex flushes. “Alright, Beth. In that case, I’m glad to be at your service.”

“I actually made Miles my model once.” Beth is now going through her sketch books. It’s hard to say if it’s only the rustling of pages that has drawn Alex close, or the mention of Miles’ name has done its wonders, too. He sits on the sofa beside Beth, looking at her drawings. Most of them are done inside this house, because Beth suffers from pains in her legs. Alex spends long time appreciating the figures she's designed to decorate the staircase. Every sketch of Lucy has a funny story behind it. And then there’s the portray of Miles – Alex’s heart does a strange flip in his chest when he saw the picture. Beth has drawn Miles with water colour, capturing the shade of his eyes beautifully. In her drawing Miles was sitting on the floor, with Lucy asleep on his lap, and a guitar resting on the floor nearby. His hair was longer than now, and he had thicker, neater bangs. Noticeably, there was a huge bruise on his face, which Beth has recorded truthfully.

In this picture, Miles was smiling widely with a swollen face. The direct visual effect coming from the drawing is torn, with a great sense of story. Alex compliments her work, “It’s really beautiful.”

“What, my painting or the boy?” Beth quizzes him teasingly.

Alex stutters, “Beth!”

Only when she stops laughing does Alex talks more about the picture itself to “prove his innocence”. He particularly likes that Beth has used dark, dull colours for the background (It seemed that she painted it on a gloomy day), but she then painted Lucy and Miles with warm, bright ones. The bold contract screams out a heavy story obscured by that joyful smile of Miles’ and the calming layout of the room.

“There’s a sense of distortion, innit?” Beth proudly agrees, then explaining to him, “This one was painted about two years ago, after Miles got into a fight with some kids in his class. Pauline was very worried, but I told her that it was probably a one-off thing, asked her to send him over for the weekend…and I’m right.”

Alex hasn’t gotten into any scraps with others since high school, and he never had a black eye or bleeding lips from messing with his peers. The experience and following-up emotions are therefore foreign to him. He pushes his imagination to create a situation where Miles would want to use his fists to defend himself, and numerous possibilities flood his brain. After all, Alex only knows very little about the other boy.

He can’t picture Beth lecturing anyone on manners and rules either, after what she revealed earlier. Alex asks suspiciously, “What did you say to him?”

“Nothing. I took Miles in town to see a boxing match and threatened to tell his mum if he didn’t pose for me.” Beth admits.

Alex can’t hold back his laughter. “No, you didn’t! I mean, really?”

“God, you have no idea how hard it is to keep him still for even half an hour. I need a leverage!”

“Well, well, well, Beth!” Miles’ voice rings from above. Beth and Alex both look up and are greeted with an exaggerated hurt face. Miles pouts, but his eyes are smiling. “How come you’ve had so many problems with me just one day after Alex arrived? I thought it would at least take a week for you to have a new favourite.”

“Hello to you, too, Miles. Just so you know, I leave the door open for the dog, not for you.” The artist jokes, opening her arm and waiting for Miles to come to the front. She kisses him on the cheek lovingly. “Sneaking inside my house now? Sorry I have nothing valuable for your, my little thief.”

“I don’t think so, madam.” Miles sits on the arm of the sofa and beams at Alex’s direction. “I’m here to steal your precious guest.”

Alex’s feet shuffle under Miles’ gaze, and his bottom lip clenched between teeth for a second, before he finds back his ability to handle a somewhat flirtatious dialogue. “Consider me a partner in crime,” says Alex slowly, “let’s say we steal the dog.”

“Conspire it when I’m not around, boys. My ears are still usable!”

Miles jumps off the sofa with a thrilled yelp, immediately running outside to catch Lucy. Beth motions him to go after him. Alex picks up the dog leash, and they agree that Alex grabs something for lunch during the walk but comes back to help Beth prepare dinner.

Just as he’s about to go, the phone rings. “Alright, I’ll go get it.” Beth pushes him out of the door. She smiles, “Have fun, Al.”

When Alex turns around, Miles is waiting for him by the fence, with Lucy happily waving her tail and rubbing her head on his leg. “Let me,” Miles takes the leash and puts it on the dog expertly. Miles apparently has heard Beth using the nickname of his, so he says, “How are you, Al?”

Hearing the syllable from someone of his age stirs his memory and abruptly Alex thinks of his friends in Sheffield. It must have shown on his face - “Alex, you okay?” Miles parts his lips with a little frown.

“Sorry, I’m fine.” Alex flicks his fingers at his head, “I just spaced out.”

“Er, well,” Miles fidgets with the leash, grinning slyly. “I haven’t officially started to bore you with the chitchat yet. Be prepared.”

He bows to the side, inviting Alex to hurdle the fence first. Alex gives a slight cough, trying to hide a snigger. The uneasy feeling is left behind as his heels come in touch with the bricks of the pavement. Miles, this time, opens the fence door and follows Lucy out the normal way. He passes the neon orange cord to Alex, motioning for him to take over. “You need to build a relationship with her. When we’re at the beach, if Lucy wants to chew a bird’s bone, pull her back like this, look…”

Miles takes a loose grip on the leash, his hand over Alex’s, and does the demonstration. Lucy immediately reacts to the little pull, turning around and squeezing through the tight space between them. She circles Alex, head held up high, and Alex tentatively reaches out his hand to pat her. Lucy’s fur is warm to the touch and silky as it looks. She then rubs her nose against Alex’s palm.

“She’s much easier to please before her pregnancy. You’re halfway there already, la.” Miles squats down, scratching below her chin before letting her run ahead. “Off you go then, babe!”

With the company of Lucy, they reach the dam twice as fast as last time. The day is cloudy, dyeing the ocean into a deep shape of turquoise. There’s a staircase not far from the bus stop, leading to the beach. Alex finds the fine sands getting firmer and moister as they walk towards the shoreline. Miles tells him this is the handwork of a high tide this morning. “Keep walking, you’ll get to see the razor clams. They are all over the beach every summer, the seaweeds as well. Attract many birds.”

Hence the strong fishy smell. Alex occasionally stops to admire the few perfectly preserved shells. The last time he went to the seaside, it’s at the pebble beach of St. Andrews. There were Grey seals having sunbath every few hundred meters along the shore. He didn’t dare to come too close, fearing that he might disturb them.

This time they walk dangerously close to the water. Alex is fascinated by the white forms left on land every time after the wave retreats. He bursts out laughing when Lucy darts forward, raising the seagulls. The birds shrink into black dots hanging above the horizon, taking Alex’s breath away with them. Miles doesn’t make fun of him as Alex gasps at the view which he must have seen a thousand times before. He starts to hum a tune under his breath: _Sail on, sail on sailor…_

“Caught like a sewer rat alone but I sail,” Alex reminds him of the lyrics. Miles neighs loudly, looking back at him, happily surprised.

“Sing it.” His eyes squeeze into encouraging curves. Miles nudges at him, “Come on, Al. Try, try! _Seldom stumble, never crumble. Try to tumble, life's a rumble_ -”

“ _Feel the stinging I've been given, never ending, unrelenting_ ,” Alex joins in. In a low voice he vents his trouble into the song. The wind tickles the back of his throat, but Alex doesn’t stop, doesn’t want to. It’s as calming as reading to himself in a quiet room, although he’s actually standing next to someone, doing something he’s not particularly confident in. Somehow, he feels unbelievably at ease with Miles.

Miles, likewise, seems to enjoy their duet very much. He waves his hands in the air when the song comes to an end. “You know what, you should come to our rehearsal! This Saturday,” he yelps, hyped up about the idea. “It’s great fun. Eva is for sure gonna make you sing with her. Be careful though, she’s quite a character.”

“Thanks for the warning,” Alex laughs, “I’d love to go, but only as your audience.”

“Deal.” Miles adds quickly, “We can go after dinner. I’ll come find ya-”

“Miles? Hey Miles!”

“Where have you been, Kane?”

Alex’s head turns automatically at the two calling voices. He notes that brief stiffness of Miles’ shoulder when the couple approach. They are his friends, it seems. The petite girl is no more than 20, ginger hair braided neatly, and she throws her arms around Miles to greet him. The boy could be slightly older. He is tall and lanky with a shaved head, introducing himself as Mike.

Mike screws up his eyes when he learns that Alex is staying with Beth. “Oh, you’re one of the art school boys.”

Alex shrugs and doesn’t bother to correct him. Mike walks up to Miles and completely ignores him. At lease his girlfriend, Ann, shows some polite interest and asks what Alex does. “…I’m going to college in London as well, but in next year. Maybe we’ll see each other around.” Ann eyes at Miles, “This one is hard to find these days. Missed five of my parties!”

“I have to work, Ann.” Miles complains.

“Bullocks!” She shouts back, giggling. “Friday, 8 o’clock. If you don’t show up this time…”

Before they go, Mike puts his hand on Miles shoulder and whispers, “I’ll see you on Friday, Miles.” The contact itself is slightly too long to be natural, not to mention that Miles has pushed his hand away, lips pinched firmly together. Observant as Alex is, the tension alone is enough to tell. Plus, Mike has waited for Ann to be outside the hearing range.

As if to confirm Alex’s doubt, Mike steers his gaze at Alex, a suggestion of malice in his posture. “Fuck off, Mike.” Miles hisses, throwing one arm around Alex’s shoulder and walking them to the opposite direction. Nobody says goodbye.

There’s silence. Alex feels he might have been intruding, despite that he didn’t mean to. “I’m sorry,” he hesitates, breaking the ice. Miles looks slantwise at him, eyes wide.

“Jesus, what are you apologizing for, Alex? For bumping into a prick?” he snorts, letting his arm slide off Alex’s shoulder. Alex smiles at his recovered spirit.

“He is total dickhead, isn’t he? I apologize for witnessing your poor choice of friends, Miles. Don’t worry, happens to the best of us.”

Miles can’t help laughing as some fond sarcasm bleeds into Alex’s reply. He rounds on him, giving Alex a headlock. “Well, let’s see if this one here is a good one!”

They wrestle on the beach. At one point Alex completely forgets about the dog leash in his hand. He only realizes he has let Lucy go free when she joins in, knocking Miles over to the ground. The dog then jumps on Alex, round belly heavy on his stomach as she licks his chin all wet. “Not fair! That’s two against one,” Miles sits up, spitting out the few sand grains he eats when Lucy takes him down.

Alex rolls with laughter. “That’s Lucy against us, and she wins.”

“Come here, your little champion.” Miles locks Lucy in his arms, brushing off the dirt on her face. The unpleasant incident is now long forgotten. Alex is glad that there’s no need to wreck his brain to put that grin back on Miles’ face.

He asks Alex, “Food?”

“Starving.”

They end up eating fish and chips in a clearing behind Bobby’s kitchen. Miles finds a few bricks for them to sit on, and they chat over soft drinks and greasy food. Alex now knows that Miles is the guitarist of the band called _The Little Flames_ , and Eva is their lead singer. The five of them got together almost a year ago, after a fuddled jamming in a dilapidated garage. The building was set to be demolished next year, but weirdly the electricity still worked. They broke in from the back one night, plugged in the guitars and played until the morning night. The police were alerted.

“I see why Beth likes you, Miles.” Alex shakes his head in disbelief. “You’re not in a punk band, are you?”

The second remark makes Miles grin from ear to ear. “I was just super drunk, mate. But what do you have against punk music?”

“Nothing. I quite enjoy them, if you ask me.” Alex admits, “Not the fashion part, though.”

“Not a fan of leather and pins? No patches on your denim jacket? Not even ripped pants?” Miles points a chip at him, musing. “Emm…I think you’d look great in them, Al. You’ve got the face for it.”

Alex rolls his eyes. “Is that supposed to be compliment?”

“You want some compliments from me? I have a lot for you, dear.” Miles winks suggestively, shoving the potato into his mouth. “Brace yourself.”

Alex remains speechless as he stares at Miles’ fingertip between his teeth. His face glows red as Alex realizes he has missed the best timing to feign a casual reply. Miles doesn’t shy away from his attention, though. On the contrary, he seems to really enjoy the lingered peeks from Alex. “I’m braced. So, if you wanna say nice things about me, feel free to do it at any time.”

“I’m sure you are.” Alex wipes his hands on the tissue, looking down at his empty takeout box. His heart races. “Notes taken, Miles. I’ll write you a sonnet.”

“One? Make it five Alex!”

They have to head back because Lucy is whining out of hunger - Miles has no snack for her today. Alex already knows the way to Beth’s house, but he doesn’t mind their walk stretching a little bit longer. “We go together on Saturday, after I’m done with the garden.” Miles reminds him before they part company. He waves, “Have a good evening, Al.”

Alex’s face is threatened to split into world’s biggest grin. 

He unlocks the front door with the spare key Beth has given to him. Lucy rushes for her food bowl immediately, leaving Alex to wince helplessly at her footprints on the floor. A piano piece is playing through the speakers in the living room, and the painter is working on her palette by the French window, facing the backyard.

Alex goes into the living room, carefully avoiding stepping onto the muddy mess. “Beth, where’s the mop?”

“In the bathroom. I’ll fetch it for you, love.” Beth puts down her brush and gives Alex an armless hug. She looks around, “Oh no, Miles didn’t come back with you? I have this blueprint for him, with a list of things he’ll need this weekend… Alex, do you mind bringing it to him? Miles lives just down the road. The blue building, it’s easy to find.”

Alex happily takes the piece of paper, supposing this to be an easy task, and that’s how he ends up back in the same living room 10 minutes later, this time with a different mission. “Beth, er… there’s this kind lady who insisted I came back to bring you to her house for dinner?” Alex pants heavily, the blueprint still in hand. He adds, bewildered. “She won’t let me in unless I succeed.”

“Great, how about you go tell her that I’ll be there in … about an hour or so,” Beth ducks her head and laughs, “Guess we shall all have dinner at Kane’s tonight.”


End file.
